The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC) conducted its second meeting of 2019 alongside the ICANN64 Community Forum, on March 9-10 in Kobe, Japan. Hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and in partnership with ICANN, the meeting offered GCSC members the opportunity to engage with the ICANN community, which lies at the foundation of Internet governance and multistakeholder cooperation.
“Cybersecurity is a process that involves the contributions and insights from a range of experts and across many disciplines,” said Latha Reddy, co-chair of the GCSC. “We sincerely appreciated having had the opportunity to undertake a variety of discussions with the Japanese government and ICANN on critical aspects of governance.”
The Commission also met in closed sessions on March 9 and 10, with a focus on developing a definition of “cyber stability” and underlying principles in support of international efforts to advance peace and security in cyberspace. The Commission also continued its work to identify policy recommendations and a governance framework in which to embed norms and anchor stability in cyberspace.
“The multi-stakeholder approach, so valuable towards bringing stability and security to cyberspace, was on full display in Kobe,” noted Michael Chertoff, co-chair of the GCSC. “Each GCSC meeting held around the globe is instrumental in incorporating input from a range of expert voices and advancing the Commission’s work and findings.”
During its time in Japan, the Commission participated in several sessions of the ICANN64 program, including holding a public consultation with the ICANN At-Large Advisory Committee. Commissioners also had the opportunity to engage with several ICANN constituencies at the forum, providing briefings to the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), the Non-Commercial Users Stakeholder’s Group, the Noncommercial Users Constituency, and the Internet Service Providers and Connectivity Providers Constituency. In addition, Commissioners met with members of the ICANN Board and the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC).
For the remainder of the year, Commissioners will be preparing the GCSC report, which will contain recommendations on a framework for an international security architecture in cyberspace that address elements of norm implementation, monitoring and accountability, and ensuring continued involvement from the stakeholders invested in a peaceful and secure cyberspace.
The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, the EastWest Institute, the Chairs and Commissioners would like to thank the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and ICANN for hosting the GCSC in Kobe, as well as the GCSC partners, the governments of the Netherlands, Singapore and France, Microsoft, ISOC, Afilias, and the other funders for their support.
The GCSC will next convene in June 2019 in The Hague, alongside the EuroDIG conference. In the run-up to this meeting, the GCSC continues to welcome input from all stakeholders on its work. Comments may be sent to info@cyberstabililty.org.
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